Armored Train Car

[Saphroneth]

Another view from...

The fact it was drawn second hand in 1920 means that it may not be fully reliable. If the description said "a slanted shield" that would fit the above description and all the Land Merrimack pictures we've already seen.

 

[USS ALASKA]

The fact it was drawn second hand in 1920 means that it may not be fully reliable.

Agreed sir. It says '...drawn from memory...', and as any LEO will state, eye witnesses are the most unreliable of evidence as much as we like first-hand accounts here on CWT...
3567

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[Saphroneth]

Agreed sir. It says '...drawn from memory...', and as any LEO will state, eye witnesses are the most unreliable of evidence as much as we like first-hand accounts here on CWT...

It's not just that. It's drawn from the memory of someone who wasn't the artist - and who, even assuming he was too young to properly enlist, would have been over ninety at the time.

 

[rebelatsea]

I've been trying to find my copy of a print which shows the superstructure to be pretty much as drawn there but the flatbed had more wheels (I think). Be that as it may, it was certainly open at the sides and to the rear, whether the ammunition and powder was supplied from the ground or another truck I don't know, there wouldn't be an awful lot of room for anything behind the recoil space on the flat bed.

 

[Saphroneth]

Interesting. That would imply that all the other drawings were based on the "Land Merrimac" name instead of the actual appearance of the battery.


Makes the appearance in the UGCW Battle of Philippi even sillier.

 

[DaveBrt]

I've been trying to find my copy of a print which shows the superstructure to be pretty much as drawn there but the flatbed had more wheels (I think). Be that as it may, it was certainly open at the sides and to the rear, whether the ammunition and powder was supplied from the ground or another truck I don't know, there wouldn't be an awful lot of room for anything behind the recoil space on the flat bed.

Good thread, with photos:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/petersburg-va-railroad-gun-and-crew.102686/#post-924176

 

[rebelatsea]

Good thread, with photos:

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/petersburg-va-railroad-gun-and-crew.102686/#post-924176

D*****T. That's the photo I was looking for, and 45mins ago I found my copy. You will note no sign of draw gear at this end but a plate where you might expect it to be. It has twelve wheels, of which only the last pair are braked - you can see the blocks on the port quarter wheelset.

 

[rebelatsea]

D*****T. That's the photo I was looking for, and 45mins ago I found my copy. You will note no sign of draw gear at this end but a plate where you might expect it to be. It has twelve wheels, of which only the last pair are braked - you can see the blocks on the port quarter wheelset.

Actually, and putting my railroad hat on, if that screw brake operates the same was as ours does on the conductors end of the cars at Faversham, it will pull blocks onto both rear wheelsets, the guy sitting on the ground is obscuring the rear blocks.

 

[HoltCivilWarLetters]

Iron-clad cars were used by Company H, 1st Regiment of Heavy Artillery, Mass Volunteers, in Maryland Heights during a skirmish with Rebels who were in Harpers Ferry on 6 JUL 1863 as the Rebels retreated South after the battle of Gettysburg. Per documentation detailing the history of the 1st Heavy Artillery Regiment, they had to remove guns from the iron-clad cars before they could be fired, because guns in the iron-clad cars could not be setup to "get the range" to fire on the Rebels. Details about this skirmish (quoted below) can be found here: https://archive.org/details/historyoffirstre00roea/page/58/mode/2up?view=theater&q=iron+clad

"…On July 6 (1863), Company H was ordered back to Maryland Heights and the company entrained in open cars on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Four iron-clad cars were attached for defense, each armed with a light fieldpiece without gun carriage, slung by ropes from the top of the car and served through portholes..."

"…Lieut. Carter and twenty men were deployed to skirmish along the Maryland bank under cover, and Lieut. Meigs opened fire with a twelve-pounder howitzer, but as he could not bring his cars up to get the range, he let Major Holt have two six-pound brass pieces, which were taken from the cars by Lieut. Gilford and two gun detachments, and rigged on logs in the road in space of ten minutes. Each trunnion rested on a log, using a plank for a quoin. Firing began, and the Rebels soon had to quit their shelter and get out of range…"

Our family has the fortune of having saved letters written by Corp. Lewis Holt of Company H, 1st Regiment of Heavy Artillery, Mass Volunteers (his is the photo I'm using for my account). Lewis was one of the ones who was firing on the Rebels during this skirmish. Lewis Holt's letters are available from the Library of VA, Richmond at this link:

http://rosetta.virginiamemory.com:1801/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3608580

From this link, scroll down (in the left pane) to the letter from Lewis in Camp Boonsboro dated 12 JUL 1863. Additionally, a transcription of all of these Civil War letters can be found by going down to near the bottom of the left pane and clicking the link to "Letters to Caroline, Glimpses…". Here is what Lewis Holt said about his experience with this skirmish:

"…we got orders to go to the Ferry again. The next morning, we got on the (railroad) cars and started. We had five iron clad cars with us armed with mountain Howitzers…When we got there, we found the railroad bridge burned and the Rebs in the Ferry…They began to fire at us and we at them. We skirmished with them about an hour…Then we opened on them with the Howitzer and, after throwing three or four shells at them, they began to skedaddle…I was gunner on one of the guns and had to stand right in open sight for about half an hour. The Rebs made a target of me, but they did not hit me though they came pretty near me some of the time..."

---

[WM1]

 

[Lubliner]

Union rails were generally guarded by pickets protecting the line of communication. The rebels would harass these and any work crews on the rails, and also the small forts set up to guard at points near bridges or weak points. An armored car for the purposes of transporting mail and payrolls as done in years after the war could be filled with soldiers as well, offering a solid firing point to shoot from. I can't recall these types of armored cars during the war, just to house a force of guards to shoot through slots in case the train was attacked. Does anyone have information on any being used? It would make sense to me.
Lubliner.